Of Water and Cheese — Château de Chillon
“I have traversed all Rousseau’s ground…and am struck to a degree with the force & accuracy of his descriptions — & the beauty of their reality: Meillerie –Clarens — & Vevey — & the Château de Chillon are place of which I shall say little – because all I could say must fall short of the impressions they stamp.”
Lord Byron’s Letter to John Murray, June 27, 1816
What is Europe without its medieval castles?
At the shore of Lake Geneva stands the beautiful Château de Chillon (prounounced SHEE-on). On this sunny day my cousin took me to Vevey to visit the Chillon Castle.
If I remember correctly, this was my first visit of a castle. And certainly, it did not disappoint.
A Roman Outpost
Château de Chillon has a colorful history. Its development from a border outpost to its current stately presence was inextricably intertwined with its location and regional history. Chillon began as a Roman outpost. The Romans chose this location as a strategic decision. Northward, the route goes toward France and Germany. At the same time, the castle is at a location that stands on the route South to Italy. Officials at Chillon collected toll fees from all through traffic.
Over the course of a few hundred years, the outpost was controlled by different authorities. These few hundred years, particularly during the 13th to 15th century, was also the time necessary for the construction of the Castle. The outpost served increasingly important functions in commerce, politics and defense. The Savoy, the Bernese and the Vaudois exercised influence over the castle in its later history.
The Savoy Period
The Savoy period is worth a special mention because they were the ones that extended significant influence with Chillon as its administrative seat. The Savoyards acquired enormous financial gains from the toll, taxes, international trade and terrestrial expansion that they developed in the Chillon area. With this the counts of Savoy, most notably Pierre (1268) and Phillippe (1285), made architectural improvements to the Castle. It was with these developments that the Savoyard extended their influence into the Vaud region.
As it serves a military purpose, the castle acquired structures of defense. For example, in the 11th century, there was only the lower part of the keep, the inner curtain wall and the glacis. By the 13th century, the Savoyards have added the outer curtain wall and three round watch towers in order to improve defense.
Despite its military significance, in its history the Château de Chillon has never experienced a battle that would have destroyed it. The Bernese invasion of 1538 and the conquest of the Vaud patriots in 1798 were two incidents on record, whereby in both instances the possessors left without engaging in serious battles. Its location on the lakeside has in fact enabled a quick capitulation of the Savoyards from Bernese attacks.
Medieval Social History
There were many rooms of significance throughout the castle. The rooms upstairs serve to show the life of nobility that the Savoyards enjoyed. There were some very good descriptions on medieval dining and hospitality. During those times, people ate at the table, first washing hands in a washing basin, then eating in a communal manner. They shared food amongst themselves. After a meal, a good host would prepare hot baths for the guests as an act of hospitality and noble privilege. The exhibits in the dining room and the bedrooms recreate these intimate details of life.
It seemed to be a never-ending row of living quarters, until the next room came up and it was delightful. It was the scribes’ room. The Dominus Clericorum, the treasure tower and chapel together served as the administrative and financial headquarters. The Savoy period, beginning in the 13th century, witnessed the rise of a practice of administrative writing. Carefully preserved are the account records, such as receipts, licenses, taxes, fines, income-in-kind, expenses including that of the upkeep of the Castle and the garrison, of Chillon. They are now kept at the archives of Turin State.
The Infamous Dungeon and Its Famous Prisoner
Perhaps the dungeon left the most unforgettable impression on me. It was in here that Francois Bonivard was held a political prisoner. The Savoyards considered him a political enemy because he sided with Geneva in resisting the Savoyards’ extension of power and control there. During a six-year incarceration in the dampness and dimness of the dungeon at Château de Chillon, Francois Bonivard had a moving space as far as the chain that restrained him. Finally, with the Bernese invasion of 1536, the Bernese released Francois Bonivard from this imprisonment. On the other hand, the dungeon also held other prisoners of Savoy, and under Bernese rule the whole castle served as a prison.
This history has drawn many famous people to the castle, particularly literary figures. Lord Byron, for example, visited the dungeon and carved his name onto the pillar. The muses were at work and thereafter he wrote the poem The Prisoner of Chillon.
There are seven pillars of Gothic mould,
In Chillon’s dungeons deep and old,
There are seven columns, massy and grey,
Dim with a dull imprison’d ray,
A sunbeam which hath lost its way,
And through the crevice and the cleft
Of the thick wall is fallen and left;
Creeping o’er the floor so damp,
Like a marsh’s meteor lamp…
Apparently, this poem became so famous that it attracted tourism to Chillon after.
The dungeon left an unforgettable impression also because of a hidden gem we found there. At one of its ends there is an educational post, with an interactive screen that demonstrates the architecture and some history of the Castle. Overall, I found that the whole museum at the castle to be incredibly informative. After all, the restoration work of the castle, done during the 19th and 20th centuries, was exemplary. Yet I also found the information bit overwhelming. I wish I had found this education spot first and started my course there instead.
The day was still young when we exited the Château de Chillon. We had a kebab lunch at a Turkish family restaurant in town.
Sources:
Poetry Foundation, The Prisoner of Chillon.
Olivier Pauchard, In the Footsteps of the Real Prisoner, Swisssinfo.ch.
Wikipedia on Chillon Castle.
Wikipedia on Francois Bonivard.
The Museum Exhibits on site at the Château de Chillon.